Representatives from a Cornish digital radio station have met with local MPs in Westminster to urge the expansion of FM coverage to broadcast local content throughout the county.
Rewind Radio’s MD, Richard Woods, and commercial manager, Martyn Saulsbury, visited London to advocate extended FM coverage across Cornwall for local commercial radio.
They met with MPs George Eustice and Derek Thomas who pledged their support for a new FM licence in Cornwall for locally-produced commercial content.
Founded in 2021, Rewind Radio currently broadcasts on DAB digital radio and the internet. And, says Woods, with Pirate FM disappearing from the airwaves in April to be replaced by a national station, there will soon be no county-wide commercial radio content available on FM.
Woods said: “Radio has changed a lot over the past few years with less accessibility available for FM listening. Cornwall has areas of deprivation and simply upgrading to more modern cars and devices is not an option for many, including the older age groups which make up a significant proportion of our population.
“We’re aware of the outcry from listeners at the imminent loss of Pirate FM and BBC Radio Cornwall’s reduced Cornwall-only content with shared regional broadcasts after 2pm on weekdays. As Cornwall’s only independent commercial station, we need to fight to provide the county’s listeners with what they are shouting for, a local FM licence dedicated to relevant, local content.”
